Turriff

The Fife Arms Hotel

Turriff lies in the heart of rural
Aberdeenshire, south of
Banff and
Macduff, and at the point where
the Burn of Turriff flows into the River Deveron.

The town's origins date back to a Columban monastery built near by
in around 1000. Some time later, St Congan's Church was built at the end of
what is now Castle Street. This was a long and narrow church whose original
tower still survives: though the bellcote still on view dates back only to
1635. The castle from which Castle Street took its name no longer exists. The
market cross that stands in its middle dates back to the 1500s, on a base made
for it in 1865.

Turriff grew primarily as the trading centre for a large
agricultural area. In 1800 it was noted that the town was home to more than
twice as many ale and whisky houses as butchers. Possibly connected to this was
the notorious reputation of Turriff shoemakers in the early 1800s, who were
said to be always ready for a fight.

A significant planned expansion to the town took place in the
1760s, and various agricultural industries were operating in the town by the
early 1800s. Turriff also benefitted from being on the route of the main road
from Aberdeen to
Banff, and in 1857 the railway
arrived, though it was to stay for less than a century until 1951. Two miles to
the east of Turriff is Delgatie
Castle.

The main road still passes through Turriff, and it remains a
bustling place. If you can imagine it free of the cars, you begin to see a
strikingly attractive small town. The overwhelming majority of the buildings
are constructed from a red sandstone quarried nearby. Much of the High Street
dates back to the early 1800s, and there is a sense throughout the town of an
attention to detail that is often absent elsewhere. Especially impressive is
the Clydesdale Bank on the corner of High Street and Main Street, with its
Gothic tower and clocks.

At the north end of High Street is Turriff's market square. This is
now given over primarily to car parking, but is still overlooked by the white
painted Fife Arms Hotel, a traditional country inn built in 1770. This became
famous as the location of a riot in November 1913 when an attempt was made to
sell the "Turra Coo" a white cow that had been seized from a local farmer for
non-payment of National Insurance contributions.